1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bag adapted for compact storage of and dispensing of flexible bags, and to a method of fabricating the novel bag. The bag is open at both ends, one end having a draw string and the other end being gathered by a strip of elastic material.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Consumers frequently retain for subsequent reuse bags obtained at the point of sale for enclosing and transporting retail purchases. These bags are typically flexible and collapsible, many being fabricated from thin yet strong sheets of synthetic resin. Reused bags are useful if maintained in reasonably clean condition, kept together in a known location, and readily dispensed.
Such used bags have little mass, yet will occupy a considerable volume if not contained within a container which is capable of either compressing used bags, or at a minimum, of restraining them from naturally opening or spreading to assume their natural volume when not compressed or folded.
The prior art has suggested devices for storing and dispensing bags for reuse. Examples are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,933, issued to Barry L. Willows on Aug. 30, 1994, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,108, issued to Bruce Anderson on Sep. 19, 1995, and U.K. Patent Application Number 2,268,157A, dated Jan. 5, 1994. These references illustrate generally cylindrical bags open at the top and at the bottom, with a drawcord at the top and elastic at the bottom for constricting the upper and lower openings. However, in each case, the elastic is contained in a closed, hollow hem. By contrast, the present invention sets forth a construction eliminating the hem.
The invention also comprises a method of forming the novel bag. None of the above patents teaches the novel method of forming the novel bag.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.